"Great fighters can do great things" - Javier Mendez is confident Khabib Nurmagomedov could have done "really well" even in the light heavyweight division
Khabib Nurmagomedov could have had success even in the UFC's light heavyweight division, according to his coach Javier Mendez.
The AKA head coach recently appeared on The Schmozone podcast to discuss numerous topics. During the podcast, Mendez reiterated his belief that Nurmagomedov would have been successful in multiple weight classes, including the 205 lbs division. He said:
"Let me tell you something, in my opinion, Khabib could've definitely, 100 percent, won [the] 155, 170, 185 [titles]. And maybe even go upto the light-heavyweight and do really well there. You guys remember, great fighters can do great things. BJ Penn did it. BJ Penn did it and he wasn't a big guy at all. Khabib is much bigger and much more capable of what BJ was able to do because he had more mass. BJ didn't. He was a small guy. He still is a small guy."
Watch Javier Mendez on The Schmozone podcast below:
Javier Mendez even exampled BJ Penn's success in higher weight classes. 'The Prodigy' fought in every weight class from featherweight to middleweight during his pro MMA career. He even took on Lyoto Machida, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, in an open-weight bout back in 2005.
Mendez believes Khabib Nurmagomedov is just as skillful, if not more, than Penn. Also, 'The Eagle' is a huge individual for the lightweight division. His greater body mass would have made it easier for him to move up in weight classes and remain successful.
Nurmagomedov has trained alongside champions of higher weight classes like Luke Rockhold, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and more on a daily basis. They have all revealed their astonishment at the Dagestani's strength as a lightweight fighter.
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov spar with Luke Rockhold below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov has big plans for Eagle FC
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He has since taken up the role of a coach and has been mentoring his fellow Dagestani fighters. Additionally, he is the owner of the rising MMA promotion Eagle FC.
Nurmagomedov is dedicated to making his promotion rank among the world's elite. During a recent interview with Sky Sports, he spoke candidly about where he wants to see Eagle FC end up. He said:
"Right now, I feel I am on the right way and I have so much ahead. Every day a lot of good fighters contact me and I'm very excited about Eagle FC and what is going on now. I really want to see what happens next February. I just want to see what happens after one year and where we are going to be, I'm very excited about this."